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James Simpson (R01-11) to Diana Miguel-Lava on Saturday 7th September 2024 in Cascais, Portugal, their son Isaac was born in September 2023.

The following OFs were present Charles Simpson (K65-72) Henry Simpson (K74-84) Lucy Simpson (P01-11) Will Simpson (G03-18) Dan O’Leary (R00-09) Connor O’Leary (R02-11) Ed Barker (S06-11) Paul Boatman (S06-11) Will (R10-11) and Olivia (nee Castle M06-11) Pitcher.

His son Mike Walker (66-67) notified us that he died on 26 January 2025 in Blandford Grange Care Home.  He was a regular attendee of the SOF West Of England Suppers.

Please click on the link to read the full eulogy provided by Mike.

Rachel Bailey has notified us that her father passed away last Wednesday, 5 March 2025. This was following a short spell in hospital, having had a chest infection.

She says “He had the most incredible life and career, on the back of his time at Framlingham College and then at Sandhurst College. Framlingham College, has always been at the centre of his world and had left a huge foot print on his heart. When he fell recently, he said to himself “don’t just lay here Trevethick, you’re a Fram Boy, get up and get help”. Another time I witnessed, during blood tests, “just get on with it nurse, it won’t hurt, I’m a Fram Boy” the last one was, to me “I’m a Fram Boy, this won’t get me down. I’ll soon be back at Halsey House and I’ll buy everyone a beer. I might even have one myself” of course, very sadly he didn’t. We’ve heard over the years, so many wonderful stories of his time within the Fram family. I know he cherished every moment with you all.  He loved attending the functions, until he became too weak to travel very far. I know his heart ached not being able to go.”

His funeral will be on Friday 4th April 2025 at 11.00am at Cromer Crematorium, Holt Road, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 9JJ

We have just been notified by his son that Dudley Frank Wright (K46-52) died on 14 December 2022.  He was born in Colchester and he and his father before him, owned the former butchers on Crouch Street, Frank Wright & Son.  He was a keen sportsman and member of the Colchester Golf Club.

Click on the link above to read his son’s lovely eulogy to his late father.

A private family funeral was held in January 2023.

David died peacefully at home (in the house in which he was born) on 6th February, 2025, after many years of frustrating ill health. Beloved husband to Gillian for 66 years, father of Judith and Andrew and grandfather of Charles and Eleanor, and Rebecca. A private family cremation will be followed by a Thanksgiving Service on Saturday 8th March, 12 noon at St Peter’s Church, Cockfield IP30 0LA. Family flowers only, but donations in his memory to Suffolk Community Foundation can be sent c/o W A Deacon Funeral Services, 3 Norman Way, Lavenham, CO10 9PY.

On 17 June 2017 David was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the community in Cockfield, Suffolk.

We are sad to report that the OF Rifle Club’s oldest member Neil John Relton Joy (R47-51) has died 4 days before his 91^st birthday on 5 February 2025.  He had been suffering from cancer for many years.  He was a splendid, eccentric, interesting and very kind man.

His funeral will take place at the Mortlake Crematorium on 25 February 2025 at 10.40am, followed by a buffet lunch at The Bell & Crown at 11-13 Thames Road, Strand on the Green, W4 3PL.  RSVP 07415099864 or peterjoy@hotmail.fr

Below is an obituary written by Steve McDowell (G82-86) :

Neil Joy OF 1934 – 2025 (R 47-51)

 OFRC captain Steve “Train-crash” McDowell pays tribute to the club’s longest-serving member Neil “Mad Professor” Joy.

Rifle shooting at long range is an eccentric sport.

To be any good, one needs a combination of calm concentration and a childish love affair with explosions, blended with a reasonable understanding of physics and precision engineering as well as a grasp of basic meteorology.

That’s a paradox in itself, since the definition of the word ‘eccentric’ is ‘off centre’ – a result all rifle shooters strive to avoid at any cost.

It should come as no surprise then the sport has its fair share of off-kilter participants.

And few of them came more eccentric than Neil Joy, who has died after a long struggle with cancer five days short of his 91^st birthday.

Neil was well named – it was always a joy to see him turn up on the Bisley ranges for the Old Framlinghamians Rifle Club. And he always did.

In his later years he grumbled about old age, fading eyesight and increasing decrepitude, yet competition after competition there he appeared.

Always in his beloved (and also increasingly decrepit) silver Ford Capri 2.8i, which he bought new in 1983 and drove to almost his dying day – complete with 80s style Go-Faster stripes.

At the beginning of each season there would be smiles all round from the rest of us as we had a quiet guess which home-made gizmo he would produce. He was an engineer after all.

Horrified by the cost of specialist shooting eyewear, yet (like many of us) frustrated by deteriorating eyesight – he simply made his own. The origin of the giant lens he had soldered to a recycled wire frame remains unknown but it gave rise to one of the many monikers we all acquire over the years. He became known as ‘Cyclops’.

Neil was characterised by gentle humour, kindness, willingness to muck in and sheer tenacity. Even well into his 80s he would cheerfully run the butts (marking targets) for our Guest Days. A tedious and physical task, yet vital to raise funds to keep the club fiscally healthy.

Another admirable quality was his modesty. When he fired a shot he didn’t like, he would unfailingly apologise to the coach.

A few years back I was coaching him (sitting next to the shooter; reading wind, plotting his shots and making sight corrections) at 900 yards.

As usual, this rumpled figure with borrowed gear, black socks sticking out of the end of the ubiquitous shabby sandals, shuffled up to the firing point and settled down.

Neil complained that he was too erratic ‘these days’ and apologised in advance for any wild shots. But on this day he showed his class and experience of 70+ years of shooting.

He was hitting the middle, just, but keeping it in the bullseye – no mean feat for anyone given you are more than half a mile away from the target.

I was muttering words of encouragement and watching closely to keep him focussed. It was getting quite exciting.

“Sorry about out that one Steve, a bit high.” It was. But still in the bull. His sixth consecutively.

I was not prepared for the next shot, however, because as the bullet exited – so did his teeth.

Without putting the rifle down, he calmly pushed the top set back in with his thumb.

“Sorry Steve, these are new choppers, I haven’t quite got the hang of them yet.”

The shot was bang in the middle.

He dropped only one point that day, finishing with 49.2 from a maximum possible 50.10.  He took some convincing it was a genuine score too, but there was no hiding his utter joy at finally putting a great score together.

It kept him coming back for many more years.

We embarrassed him once. The Public Schools Veterans shoot at Bisley, the last of the season and a ’must’ for Neil. It’s a huge match with upwards of 50 teams of Old Boys taking part.

The tannoy burst into life announcing to more than 1000 people across a half-mile wide range that someone from Haileybury School was shooting his 60^th consecutive Veterans match. Neil said it was his 75^th. We had that announced, too.

We cheered him. Neil looked at his sandals.

Neil Joy was born in Portsmouth on 9 February 1934. His father was a Merchant Navy officer and the family (with his younger brother Kit) relocated to Singapore until the Japanese invaded in 1942 and they were evacuated to Australia.

Returning the UK in 1947, he was promptly dispatched to a bleak Rendlesham House at Framlingham College.

Unlike most of the rest of the OFRC, Neil thrived and by all accounts he was very successful. He was 1^st XV rugby, shooting captain and a scholar.

National Service in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers yielded another great Neil moment. This caused great consternation with John “Irish Imam” Halahan, himself a former REME squaddie, when he revealed he had been a 2^nd Lieutenant.

“Oh yeah,” said Halahan, “I was a corporal… and so was Hitler.”

Being an officer was most unusual for a National Serviceman but he explained that the base commander had two sons and he wanted Neil to teach them to shoot though, in order to do so, he had to accept a commission. Naturally, helpful and willing as ever, Neil obliged – for nearly two years.

A scholarship to Imperial College, London, to read Chemical Engineering followed as did a wife, Sheila, whom he met at a college dance, a long career in all kinds of engineering – including project managing the construction of the Channel Tunnel – and two sons.

Sadly Sheila, later a primary school teacher, became extremely ill with MS and Neil became her full-time carer for many years before her death in 2010.

He is survived by Gordon and Nicholas, three grandchildren; Nicholas, Peter and Marie-Guiliane and a 1983 Ford Capri.

He will be greatly missed by many, I’m sure, but the OFRC most certainly.

We are sad to announce the death of Alan Bewick (K47-53) who appears to have died as his 2024 OF Newspaper was returned “Deceased”.  He would have been 90.  No other details known at present, but according to Ancestry record he would appear to have died back in 2020.  Alan was a Vice President of the Society.

A close contemporary of his James Ruddock-Broyd (G46-52) recalls Alan was a talented sportsman at school and his record shows he was lst XV Rugby in 1951 & 1952, 1st XI Hockey in 1951, 1952 & 1953 and 2nd XI Cricket in 1953.  James remembers he took a holiday in the Algarve for golfing and first day first shot  his club while swinging hit a piece of rock.  He was soon active again and regularly attended Council meetings, but about 5 years later his back suddenly collapsed.  It seems no operation would correct it and he was confined to bed for the rest of his life.  James visited Alan in bed at his home in Newton, Cambs around the early 2000s.

Bill Pinney (G63-70) died on 15 January 2025. No other details at present.

As well as being a member of Woodbridge Golf Club for many years, he will be best known for taking over the running of the fish business Pinney of Orford from his father.

Michael McGuire (K54-63) died on Boxing Day morning 2024.  According to his brother Tim (K62-73), his death on Boxing Day mimicked his own mother’s death in 1999.

Michael was Head Boy at both Brandeston and at the College.  Tim says “He was a sportsman, a musician and a dedicated engineer. He spent most of his working life keeping us all safe by maintaining the integrity of nuclear power installations. In later life he researched carbon capture techniques and how to recycle organic rubber materials into more useful products. He is survived by his 2 children and their mother.”

The Green Register also reveals that he won his Rugby and Athletics colours and won a Wallace Scholarship.

The funeral is booked for Monday 20th January at 11.00 am at Alford Crematorium, Miles Cross Hill, Alford, Lincolnshire, LN13 9LH.  Please can those attending in person aim to arrive at the Crematorium between 10.40 and 10.45am. You are all warmly invited to join afterwards at the White Horse Inn, Marshchapel, where there will be some light refreshments and we will raise a glass to Mike. Those unable to attend in person are welcome to access the webcast of the ceremony – contact Tim. They have requested no flowers, but if you would like to make a donation in lieu, they have nominated the choir Mike was a member of to receive these. Donations can be made to ‘Sing Out Louth’ c/o Elizabeth McIntosh 60-13-15 account no: 43522742.

Pictured are Tim, sister Shelagh and Mike.